What was your very first SAK?

[JamesJ]

Great Stories! 

  My early 80's replacement Champion bought after our fire....
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I love that ice pick idea...I often grab one of my Wengers when I need to bore a long skinny hole, since the Vic/Delémont awl is too short and wide.
I need to shorten an ice pick/skewer and keep in the pouch.

My first was a Wenger Serrated Toolchest that my uncle gave me for my 13th birthday back in 2000.  It is still a treasured possession.  This model seems to be somewhat rare, as I've been looking to buy some backups.  My fanboy-ism for Wenger started with this knife.
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(Not mine, but same model.)

Now that is an awesome SAK. I like it much better than the newer Wenger with that thick ruler/compass taking up so much room. More like a SwissChamp. Looks like it has a small blade? Would be cooler for me if it had a nail file. Love that serrated blade!

and what it looks like today after restoring and retiring.
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WOW!!! Awesome brass and polishing job.

As for mine...

When I was in Cub Scouts and Webelos, I used to get the Boys Life magazine (a magazine for scouts, which had lots of ads for camping gear and "build your own hovercraft" plans in the back).

My mother let me order an imitation Champion. It was $12 (back then you had to MAIL in an order form, cut out from the magazine, with a cheque/check or money order, what a hassle!) I was able to find a copy of the original ad online:

(I have that survival knife too, still have that one)

I was super excited when it arrived, so many tools! The scales were a bit darker than Victorinox, like a maroon color. I think it was maybe 1 or 2 days before it started falling apart. Eventually I just dismantled it completely and kind of played with the tools.  I also had a fake Classic, it was green. Not sure where it came from.

My first real SAK is this Wenger...Handyman?  I got it when I was maybe 10 years old, which would be 29 years ago at Knott's Berry Farm in the knife shop.  I remember the salesman suggesting it because it had a saw, and I could "cut all kinds of stuff with it". I'm not sure if they still sell knives at Knott's since everybody is so afraid of everything these days, but I remember back then they put it in a bag and stapled it closed and told my mom it had to remain like that until we left. Nowadays it's kind of worn out but it sits on my desk and I use the blade to pop scales off of other SAKs (since it's already scraped up).

Only after joining this forum did I discover the bottle opener screwdriver locks (!).

Same here! all these years, never knew it. It's kind of an invisible feature.

I carried this around with me on camping trips and adventures until I was about 23.  My roommate was moving to Florida and left behind a "junk drawer" of tools and pencils/pens, etc and said I could keep whatever I wanted. In there was an Explorer (gray mag/screw scissors).  I carried that with me up until a couple years ago, took it on tour all over the USA, Canada, Germany, Switzerland, Austria, Mexico.  (This part of the story I've told before) Maybe a year and a half ago he was in town visiting and looking at it, and I told him it was from that drawer of stuff many years ago. Turns out it was given to him by his father, who had passed away when he was young. He didn't realize it was in that drawer. So I gave it to him, told him about all the adventures it had, how I had replaced the T&T and mini screwdriver, etc and then went and bought a new Explorer for myself.

[Ron Who]

I'm too old to remember... 

[microbe]

I was a kid, the model had no meaning in those days.I had a Swiss army knife!!!! I remember it had a fish scaler, a saw, a secondary small blade, a magnifier, and a bail, and based on that, I think it was an early Champion.
I also recall I broke the blade tip, the scale, and that it bit me. Good times.

BTW: I got it from my dad. Sometimes he took me along to the tool shop, and they had SAK's, Opinels, Laguioles, AND the Blackout Rambo knife. This was the early eighties. Over time, I got an Opinel, broke it, got the SAK, broke it, got the Rambo knife, broke it, and I got  a Laguiole, which I still have.

[ThePeacent]

Mine was an Outrider, IIRC, but it's been too many years to be sure.

What I know for sure, though, is that my first Wenger was this one, a while back, and impressed me so much.



 That very year was Wenger dropped and their production ceased, sadly for me as it was then when I started looking for Wengers to grab and try out 

[Boonies]

Artisan that I bought in the early 70's I believe (called a Craftsman when I bought it).  Not a drawer queen for sure, it was USED and used hard.  Broken tip on the small blade and re-profiled, broken scissors and re-profiled (that pointy thing right in front of the saw), and then it was lost and spent 3 or 4 years under the seat of my Jeep right above the catalytic converter.  Scales were  pretty much  toast!  Have 3 more of these that are beaters in as bad or worse shape and now think I have enough parts to restore this one.  The scales on it now are from a newer Sportsman.  Still have every SAK that I bought except for a couple of Classics that went missing over the years.   

[irona]

Artisan that I bought in the early 70's I believe (called a Craftsman when I bought it).  Not a drawer queen for sure, it was USED and used hard.  Broken tip on the small blade and re-profiled, broken scissors and re-profiled (that pointy thing right in front of the saw), and then it was lost and spent 3 or 4 years under the seat of my Jeep right above the catalytic converter.  Scales were  pretty much  toast!  Have 3 more of these that are beaters in as bad or worse shape and now think I have enough parts to restore this one.  The scales on it now are from a newer Sportsman.  Still have every SAK that I bought except for a couple of Classics that went missing over the years.   

That's what a well used SAK looks like!



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[Boonies]

Oh yes, emphasis on the "well used".....😛

[jaya_man]

My first SAK is a Handyman given to me by may parents as a going away present...




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[Mechanickal]

My first SAK is a Handyman given to me by may parents as a going away present...

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Nice watch!

[jaya_man]

My first SAK is a Handyman given to me by may parents as a going away present...

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Nice watch!

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[Subterranean]

As far as I can remember, the first SAK I've ever seen was my dad's SAK when I was about 6 or 7 years old - it was a beautiful dark green cellidor SAK, with the Porsche logo printed on the scales. Our cousin was working as a paint shop worker in the Porsche factory (Zuffenhausen, Germany), he gave that knife as a gift to my dad. My dad kept it in car or in garage. If I recall correctly, it was probably a real Victorinox.

I remember sifting through all the tools in that knife and being surprised&impressed with so many moving "parts" - tools. I recognized only the knife blade and scissors. I had no idea what is the purpose of awl, openers, etc. However, at that time I already started playing with the sharp things in the house and earned myself some cuts, so I was actually a bit afraid to touch all the sharp things on that SAK. So I mostly played with its toothpick and tweezers since they were harmless - it impressed me that those white and grey bits of plastic at the end of the scales are actually hidden tools 

That SAK was lost or displaced somewhere, I didn't see another SAK for years. I forgot about them, since no one around me had one.

Some years ago, I saw a Chinese SAK knockoff on eBay and asked my brother if he could order me one (I didn't have Paypal account). It was actually well made, I started regularly carrying and using it. My interest in that kind of tools started to grow and I started to read about SAK on the Internet. That's how I found about the genuine SAK and Victorinox. I used that Chinese knife a lot until one day it suddenly fell apart (the rivets/pins broke). I decided to search for a genuine SAK.

I found a local shop that was selling genuine Victorinox stuff and decided to buy a Vic SAK for my dad as a birthday gift, and to check out their quality - "if I like it, I will buy myself one later". So I bought him the Explorer. He was very happy since he liked SAKs but never bought himself one. I was stunned with its quality - precisely shaped tools, awesome audible click, strong backspring,... Then I bought my brother also the Explorer, also as a birthday gift. After seeing the same high quality for the second time, I was sold - "these Swiss guys did a bloody brilliant work, now I see what all the fuss is about".

Then I finally bought myself my first genuine SAK - the Tinker. I went for the Tinker because I wanted to carry a slim knife in my pocket every day. Next up, I bought the Classic SD because of the scissors.

At that time, I found about this forum. It was you guys, who opened my wallet eyes, I started to buy other models and discovered the world of SAKs/knives/multitools.

[BleaKrytE]

I was 14 (now I'm 16, so not long ago) when I got my lil' Classic SD hahah
When I was I guess 10, or such, I saw a "How its made" or something show on tv, and they were showing the Victorinox factory. I was like :O and I told my grandma I wanted one (so delicate). She said I was too young and she would give me one when I got older. She never actually gave one to me xD. So, one day, I went and told my parents I wanted to buy a SAK with my birthday money, and they were like "Why? Where are you gonna use that?", and didn't let me buy one. Nevertheless, sometime later, I was 14 and I was keeping all the money I got to buy a SAK hidden from them. I saw there was a store near my home, where I could go after school, selling a Classic for R$ 80 (24 usd right now). Kinda expensive, like everything in Brazil, but still, I bought and I returned home so pumped I actually didn't think about how I was going to explain it to my parents. So I got home and told my dad I found it on the street, with the box and everything ("maybe it felt out of a ripped bag"). They were ok with it, but still didn't like the idea of spending money on such "useless" stuff. That was last year. Now my gf gave me a new, bigger one (a super tinker) for birthday, and they were like "why are you gonna carry that around for?" but still. That's my story xD

[tjfarrington2000]

My first SAK was a bijou that my grandfather gave me when I was 12. Four years later, and 50 or so SAKS later, I still find myself going to that knife on an almost daily basis, just to see it.


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[Aloha]

My first SAK was a bijou that my grandfather gave me when I was 12. Four years later, and 50 or so SAKS later, I still find myself going to that knife on an almost daily basis, just to see it.


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Good to see you popping in 

[JP]

PocketPal 84mm

Gift from Parents when I was about 8 or so. Lost on an adventure I was having in the ravine I am sure.

[Roc]

I was into knives at a young age, but I didn't know what a quality knife was until I received my first sak. I had plenty of knives made in China and was perfectly content until it came to sharpening one. 
My grandfather past away in 1999. This was the one man that I looked up to my whole life. He was a true mans man.
Hunter, fisher, WW2 vet that never let that past affect his happiness. I was 22 when he passed and I remember my mom giving me all of his knives. I remember being most impressed with his Buck 110 and the little Queen knife that he used to open presents on birthdays and holidays(my family uses a lot of scotch tape).
My grandmother died a year later and a few months later my first dog. It was a rough couple years for the whole family. Being 22 I found a lot of peace in a bottle. I started pocketing my grandpas camper since it had a bottle opener. I carried it for a couple years until the opener started to loose its snap. I decided to do an internet search to see if I would be able to fix it. That's when I found this forum and learned just what Victorinox I had and the whole world of multitools. I thought about sending it into Vic to have them fix the lack of snap in the bottle opener, but I think it tells a story of a time in my life. Someday I will pass it to my son. I'll tell him my story and leave it to him to decide whether to add his own story to the knife or not.

[tjfarrington2000]

My first SAK was a bijou that my grandfather gave me when I was 12. Four years later, and 50 or so SAKS later, I still find myself going to that knife on an almost daily basis, just to see it.


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Good to see you popping in 

I pop up once in a while! School and work and all that teenage drama I distance myself from as much as humanly possible!


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[Mini]

Certainly it was something cheap from china. When I was about 20 years old and I had a little bit of money for me, I bought a compact.
I lost it about ten years after.
End of the story.
😥

[Padre]

It was Wenger from 80s, that is all I can rememer. It had saw and corkscrew.

Lost it on a fishing trip early 90s.

[Butch]

About 1973 I was working on an airconditiong unit on a roof. I found a Champion up there. I took it inside and asked everyone there if it was thiers. Nobody claimed it & the owner of the shop would not take it to hold for whoever it did belong to. That was my 1st, long since lost along with 2 or 3 others but have never been without one for long since.

[Blackbeard]

About 1973 I was working on an airconditiong unit on a roof. I found a Champion up there. I took it inside and asked everyone there if it was thiers. Nobody claimed it & the owner of the shop would not take it to hold for whoever it did belong to. That was my 1st, long since lost along with 2 or 3 others but have never been without one for long since.

Butch, mind popping into this thread and schooling us on a mystrery item? https://forum.multitool.org/index.php/topic,74508.msg1586305.html#new

[Dutch_Tooler]

OK, here's a short history of my SAKs (or knockoffs)...

At age 6 or 7 or so my dad gave me what I then considered a truly wornderful and valuable red "SAK" with small and large knife blade, bottle and can opener, and awl and corkscrew  . It even had a lanyard bail. I actually had this for many years, but my attempts at reviving the gradually vanishing blade edges proved futile, as they would not remain sharp. It was beaten around a lot and the liners proved less than perfectly rustproof, and so did the can opener and corkscrew (despite the latter never having been used in anger, honest ). When I grew older and more discerning, I thought "to heck with horse's mouth" and inquired with my dad as to the lineage of the knife. He was quick to point out he had never claimed it was Swiss. I used it on and off for a few more years until the bail fell off, loosening the pivot pin at that end and splitting the scale, and the pins turned out to be no more than 1.5 mm thick and that's being generous. That made it "bin time".

The next one I got, age 12 I think (bought with saved up pocket money), was a much better quality Italian make which I don't remember any more. Same tool complement, slightly longer and with faux horn scales. Felt like pretty good quality. This one I gave to my neighbour boy when I went to college and had temporarily lost interest in pocket knives.

Fast forward to a trip with university to industry and universities in Switzerland, Italy and France. Fateful visit to a Swiss roadside store near Luzern where many nice Wenger knives were on display. Bought one with more or less the same tool complement as above and was immediately aware of the even higher build quality of this knife than those I had before. On a stop in Turin (Italy) a few days later our bus was broken into and my knife must have found a new owner 

First days with my current employer. Wandering around town, I hit upon one of these stores where they sell kitchen cutlery and also Victorinox knives, and bought a SwissChamp after trying several types. I had this for about a decade, taking it on skiing and other trips, until it disappeared due to loss or theft (not sure which). Meanwhile I'd also discovered the first Leatherman PST, later the original Charge. Also acquired a MiniChamp, or rather, my GF had brought it when we moved together and gave it to me since she had no use for it. She also had two smaller Vics.

I've since renewed the acquaintance with a SwissChamp and got quite a few more Leathermans after I joined a certain forum. And I've got at least one more SAK coming

What I'd like to try next is modding a SAK...

[VICMAN]

I have collected and carried pocket knives since I was 8, but I never saw a real Swiss Army knife until I was in my 30's. I had only seen the cheap knock-offs prior to that.

My first SAK was a Victorinox Champion.

It was the top of the line model at that time. I was thoroughly amazed at all the tools and what the knife was capable of.

Also the fit and finish impressed me.

From that moment on I was hooked on Victorinox SAKS and ended up being a dealer for about 10 years.

As soon as the Swiss Champ came out I switched to carrying one and retired my Champion which I still have. It is still in great shape.

My only regret is that I did not discover Victorinox SAKS when I was a lot younger.

[VICMAN]

   When both of my kids turned 12, the each got there own sak, a champion+, one was last month, needless to say he was thrilled! But I think I was even happier, to keep the tradition going, lol..
JR

Thanks for keeping the tradition going with your kids.

I have many great memories from my childhood connected with carrying a pocket knife. 

[El Corkscrew]

Thanks for sharing!!! 

My VERY first SAK was a Tinker.   My dad gave me and my brother a SAK each before a fishing trip when I was 8 years old.  (My brother got the Wenger Bass - I was and am still a little jealous, big brother awlways got the cooler/more expensive stuff)


Soon after that Tinker came a Classic and an Adventurer...   The Adventurer was SO COOL to receive... that awesome lock and a BIG blade!  Pretty much felt like Commando

[VICMAN]

My first SAK is a Handyman given to me by may parents as a going away present...

Nice pic jaya!   

[VICMAN]

So, let's hear your stories. What was your first SAK?

Thank you for starting this thread ReamerPunch.
It has brought back some great memories from my past, and I enjoy hearing all the other accounts of getting the first SAK. 

[sir_mike]

My first sak was a Tinker (known as the small Tinker now) which was bought at the local True Value store when I was about 12 or 13 years old so back around 1975.  I carried that sak with me thru my Boy Scouts days, my fishing days, etc, everywhere without anyone every batting an eye at it when I pulled it out to use it.  I carried it for over 25 years and used all the tools a million times til the main blade had developed too much play in it so it got retired.  I think I still have it around here somewhere but not sure since I moved twice.  I did inquire about sending it in once to have it fixed and was told that it would cost like $11 plus $5 for return shipping so I told the person on the phone that that price is more than I paid for it back then and that I could get a new one for the price of both shipping costs and the fee to fix it so never sent it in or replaced it.  I used the small blade all the time for tasks that one might use scissor's for, you know the delicate work!  lol

Since its retirement, I have tried many others and eventually settled on the Explorer which has been in my pocket for many years til just now when I am itching to try a different setup. 

[deputy tom]

My first SAK was a Wenger. Our uncle gave it to my older brother and myself as a joint gift. Of course he being older kept it for himself. That was around 1961. It was so cool owning something from a far away place. I ended up buying my own SAK in the early 1970's. It is a Victorinox Champion. I still have it and a small collection of around thirty SAKs.tom. 

[FolderBeholder]

The day was April 20th, 1986.  My cat Maui lost his battle with lukemia and for some reason I ended up at Gemco department store.  I had always admired Victorinox knives and wanted one that day more than ever.  I thought I would carry it with me every day as a remembrance of Maui, a great cat who I knew I would miss so much.
I did carry that knife, faithfully, until the day it slipped out of my pocket at a theater.
The knife was a Camper, I loved that knife and have since replaced it with another mint in box one.  I tried carrying it, but it wasn't the same sentiment that I had with my original.
So I had member GigaHz make me a custom knife that has now become my EDC.  It has the same scale on the front as my original Camper (the foil stamped teepee).

My original Camper had a foil stamped teepee on it.  Here's all that remains.




The one I carry today (I forgot to open the wood saw layer, but it's there):